Continuities and Change Over Time Essay

A Way to Approach the CCOT Essay Consider when you were born. What did you look like? What was your temperament? What was important to you? Now think about when you were five years old. What did you look like? What was your temperament? What was important to you? Now think about yourself at fifteen years old. What do you look like? What is your temperament? What is important to you? Now ask yourself: What changed over those years, and what stayed the same about you? Finally, why did those specific aspects about you change, and why did other elements about you stay the same?” The answers to all those questions would form the information for a CCOT essay about you.

CCOT Scoring System (Rubric)

Thesis (1 point) To get the (1) point: Have a thesis that explains what essay is about Discuss the actual time frame/dates (can be approximations) – Must have dates!!! Briefly state changes AND continuities Discuss global issues (what caused the changes and/or continuities). Must incorporate another region of the world Don’t need long paragraph (save time) – can do all of the above in 2 sentences

Addressing the Question (points 2+3) To get both (2) points: Explain that there was both a change and continuity over the time period in the body of your essay State what the change(s) is and what the continuity(s) is Explain why these changes occurred or why things stayed the same You will only get 1 point if: Only discuss change or continuity, but not both

Historical Evidence (points 4+5) To get both (2) points: Provide a substantial number of facts and details that show there was change and facts and details showing continuity (kind of like outside information you did in past DBQ’s) You will get 1 point if: You only give details for change OR continuity You have limited detail/fact to support thesis

World Historical Context (point 6) To get this point: Explain what was happening in other parts of the world that affected the change or continuity in the society you are writing about In other words what was causing these changes or continuities?

Analyze Process of Change (point 7) Analyze WHY specific changes took place, and analyze WHY some things remained the same Include major events during the time period that impacted either change or continuity Try to avoid writing continuities in one paragraph, then changes in another (see next slide)

Go in chronological order and discuss changes and continuities as they come up OR Pick an issue (such as government) and analyze changes and continuities over time (see next slide) Analyze Process of Change (point 7)

In either case, you must trace the continuity or change over the time period Don’t just write what it was like at the beginning, and what it was like in the end State REASONS WHY things were changing or why they were staying the same

Body Paragraphs Each body paragraph should contain a topic sentence that sets the topic example in a time context. Each body paragraph should contain two to three specific examples that support your topic sentence. Each body paragraph should connect the historical events of the paragraph to the global context of the era. Each body paragraph should close by stating a reason for the change or continuity.

Expanded Core Only if you get a 7 out of 7 can you be eligible for the expanded core (2 additional points) To get extra points, you need to show “excellence” in your knowledge and analysis

What you need for the extra points Clear, analytical, and comprehensive thesis Analyze all issues, all relevant global issues, correct chronology Address all parts of question evenly Lots of details/facts to support your thesis (this is like outside info from past DBQs)